23 March 2010
National Gallery and Backstage Tour of the Coliseum

Painting History: Delaroche and Lady Jane Grey

Delaroche, a contemporary of Ingres and Delacroix, was renowned for his monumental history paintings, particularly of English subjects. Of these, the Execution of Lady Jane Grey is the most well known. Painting History traces the gestation of the work and places it in the context of history painting.  Also displayed are major works which established his reputation in the 1820s and 30s.

We will have a private introductory talk followed by a self-guided tour of the exhibition

The Coliseum Theatre

Backstage Tour

The Coliseum Theatre is one of London’s largest and best-equipped theatres. It was opened in 1904 by the impresario Oswald Stoll whose ambition was to build the largest and finest ‘People’s palace of entertainment’ of its age. Now home of the English National Opera, it underwent extensive renovations between 2000 and 2004 whilst retaining many of its original features. The tour has been arranged by Sarah Lenton who is giving our February lecture. She writes ‘backstage is unreconstructed 1904’ so a degree of agility and fitness is required.

13 July 2010
Bowood House and Broadleas Garden

Bowood House is a Grade 1 listed Georgian country House begun c1720 with interiors by Robert Adam and a garden designed by Capability Brown. There are superb collections of paintings in the Orangery and of the Lansdowne Marbles in the sculpture gallery. In one of the most beautiful parks in England the sinuous 1km lake was created by the flooding of the unfortunate village of Mannings Hill.

Broadleas Garden is an attractive garden with a steep dell planted with many varieties of magnolias and other acid loving plants. There is also a Secret Garden, a sunken Rose Garden and a silver border with a great variety of shrubs and exotic climbers. In a woodland walk some tender rarities can be found sheltered from the elements.